Brendan Schaub explained why fans who want fighters to get paid more will have to root for a Francis Ngannou victory at UFC 270.
During the latest episode of The Schaub Show, the fighter-turned-comedian revealed why he thinks it's in the fighters' best interest for Ngannou to beat Ciryl Gane in their title unification showdown. Schaub argued:
"If you're a fan – and I hate it because it comes at the cost of Ciryl Gane losing the fight – but if you're a fan of fighters, and you want fighters to get paid and you want fighters to not f***ing have to have YouTube channels and hold mitts when they're f***ing 40, you want guys like Francis to win and set the path for other fighters at his level to be able to leave the UFC and make 'f*** you' money. Because we're not making 'f*** you' money in the UFC."
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Schaub added that no UFC star ever gets paid "f*** you money" – or the amount of financial resources required for a person to say "f*** you" to their employer – other than Conor McGregor. He continued:
"Outside that, nobody is riding off to the sunset. Francis has the ability now to knock out Ciryl Gane, become heavyweight champ and make real, real 'f*** you' money. So you kind of got to root for Francis here. Nothing against Ciryl Gane, but for the love of the game, we want Francis to win for those reasons."
Watch the full episode of Brendan Schaub's show:
Brendan Schaub favors Francis Ngannou against top boxing contenders
Francis Ngannou's future in the UFC is uncertain as the heavyweight star has hinted at wanting to try his luck at professional boxing. Transitioning from the octagon to the squared circle opens the door for 'The Predator' to put together lucrative fights against the biggest draws in combat sports.
Should that unfold, Brendan Schaub believes Ngannou has a great chance to defeat boxing's elite heavyweights including Tyson Fury, Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua.
The Cameroonian is entangled in an ongoing contract dispute with the UFC.
Boxing, of course, offers greater financial opportunities to its top stars. Fury, the biggest heavyweight star in boxing, reportedly raked in $18 million in total for his trilogy bout with Deontay Wilder in 2021. In comparison, Ngannou only earned $730,000 in his last fight according to reports.